ABC/ Group LAUsher is set to portray boxing legend Sugar Ray Leonard in the film Hands Stone, and fans the entertainer can now watch a sneak-peek video his transformation, via BET.

The R&B singer understood the vital importance his role as Leonard in the movie, particularly for black Americans. “Sugar Ray Leonard was an American icon…someone who represented so much hope for African-American people,” he said. To get ready for his role, Usher had the privilege training with Leonard. “In preparation for Sugar Ray, I really did have to think like a boxer…so I trained like one,” he said.